Scripture:
Proverbs 6.6-11; 10.3-5; 12.11, 24; 13.4, 11, 16; 14.4, 23; 16.26; 18.9; 19.2,
15, 24; 20.4, 13; 21.5, 17, 20, 25; 22.13, 29; 23.19-21; 24.30-34; 26.10,
13-16; 28.19-20
Translation: Proverbs 6.6Go
to the ant you lazy bum! See its ways and be wise! 7That there is no
commander for it, no one administrating or ruling. 8It arranges in
the summer for its food. It gathers at harvest time what it will eat. 9How
long are you going to sleep you lazy bum? When will you get up from your sleep?
10A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to
sleep, 11and your poverty will come like a robber, your needs will
come like an armed man!
Proverbs 10.3Yahweh doesn’t starve the stomach
of the righteous person, but He overturns the desire of wicked people. 4Lazy
hands make a man poor, but the hands of diligent people get rich. 5The
man who harvests in the summer is a son who brings success; the man who sleeps
at harvest time is a son who brings shame.
Proverbs 12.11A person who works his land
is full of food, but a person who chases worthless things doesn’t have a brain!
12.24The hands of diligent people are
successful, but laziness leads to slave labor.
13.4A lazy man wants but there’s nothing for
his stomach, but the stomachs of diligent people get fat.
13.11Wealth from thin air shrinks, but the
person who harvests by hand gets a lot.
13.16Every smart person makes use of
knowledge, but an idiot spreads stupidity.
14.4When there is no cattle, the feeding
trough is clean, but an abundant harvest comes via oxen.
14.23With all pain there will be an
abundance, but talking lips, what great poverty!
16.26The stomach of the worker works for
him, because his mouth pressures him.
18.9Moreover, a person who slacks off on
his work, he is the brother to master of destruction.
19.2Moreover, with no knowledge life is
not good, and a person who rushes on foot is a sinner.
19.15Laziness brings on a deep sleep, and
a lazy man’s stomach starves.
19.24A lazy man buries his hand in the
food, yet doesn’t bring it back to his mouth!
20.4A lazy person doesn’t plow after the
fall harvest, so he wants food during the summer harvest, but there’s nothing.
20.13Don’t love sleep, otherwise you will
be poor. Open your eyes. Get full on food!
21.5Focused thoughts—surely it will lead
to abundance! But everyone who rushes—surely it will lead to poverty!
21.17A man of poverty is a person who
loves pleasure; a person who loves wine and oil doesn’t get rich!
21.20There is desired treasure and oil in
the house of the wise person, but stupid man uses it all up!
21.25What a lazy person wants will kill
him, because his hands refuse to work!
22.13A lazy person says, “Ah! There’s a
lion outside! I could get killed right out in the open!”
22.29You should look at a skilled man at
his work—he will stand before kings, he won’t stand before unimportant people.
23.19You Listen up, my son, and be wise. Set
your mind on the right path. 20Don’t be with those who get drunk on
wine, those who stuff themselves with meat, 23because a person who
gets drunk and a stuffed will be poor, and sleepiness will make them wear rags!
24.30I walked past the field of a lazy
man, and by the vineyard of a man who didn't have a brain. 31And
look, all of it grew thistles and weeds covered its surface—and a wall, its
stones were torn down. 32And I looked. I thought about it. I saw. I
took it as a lesson. 33A little sleep, a little slumber, a little
folding the arms to rest, 34And your poverty will come walking all
over you, and your needs like armed man!
26.13A lazy person says “Ah! There’s a
lion in the street! A lion is in the middle of those wide open spaces!” 14The
door turns on its hinges, and the lazy person on his bed. 15A lazy
person buries his hand in the food on the plate, but it’s too much work for him
to bring it back up to his mouth. 16A lazy person is wiser from his
own perspective than seven people who can give a wise decision.
28.19A person who works his land will be
full of food, but a person who chases worthless things will be full of poverty.
20A faithful man is great in blessings, but a person who hurries to
get rich will not get away with it.
Interpretation
1.
Themes
a.
Hard work
b.
Laziness
c.
Wasting time
d.
Planning ahead
e.
Poverty, needs
f.
Wealth
g.
Wisdom
h.
Agriculture
i.
Stomach
j.
Providence of God
2.
Doctrines
a.
God will provide what the
wise need
Applications
1.
Outline
a.
Don’t Waste Time, Instead
Plan Ahead
i.
Don’t waste time
1.
Don’t sleep too much
2.
Don’t drink too much
3.
Don’t eat too much
4.
Don't game too much
5.
Don’t watch too much
6.
Don’t play too much
7.
Don’t talk too much
8.
Don’t socialize too much
9.
Don’t procrastinate too
much
10.
Don’t work too much
ii.
Plan Ahead
1.
Set Goals
2.
Maximize Opportunities
3.
Manage Risks
4.
Make Schedules
5.
Map out strategies
6.
Meet Needs
7.
Recognize cause and effect
8.
Trust in God’s provision
b.
Don’t Be Lazy, Instead Work
Hard
i.
Don’t be Lazy
1.
Give up the obsession of
getting rich quickly
2.
Give up the hatred for hard
work
3.
Give up making excuses
4.
Give up expecting
everything to be easy
5.
Give up wasting time
6.
Give up impulsive, foolish
decisions, especially purchase
7.
Give up expecting
everything to be done for you, or magically appear for you
8.
Give up getting ahead by
any means necessary
ii.
Work Hard
1.
Get to Work
a.
Start working
b.
Work when you need to work
2.
Get through the work
a.
Through the pain
b.
Through the boredom
c.
Through the distraction
3.
Get motivated
a.
By hunger
b.
By wealth
c.
By honor
d.
By blessing
e.
By faith
4.
Get Wise with Work (work
smarter not harder)
a.
Use Good Tools
b.
Use Good Timing
2.
Discussion Questions
a.
What is your favorite way
to waste time? why?
b.
How much time do you think
you waste in an average week?
c.
What is your attitude
towards work, especially hard work?
d.
What are some practical
everyday consequences of laziness? Which ones have you personally experienced?
e.
What do you think and feel
when you see someone being lazy?
f.
What are the biggest
obstacles to being productive? What are your favorite excuses?
g.
How much do you usually
plan ahead, on a scale of 1-10?
h.
What would motivate you to
work hard and use your time well? Why?
i.
What is one thing you can
do this week to waste less time?
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